Bipartisan Lawmakers Commemorate 24th Anniversary of 9/11 at Ground Zero

A group of lawmakers from the House Homeland Security Committee is set to visit Ground Zero in New York City to honor the victims of the 9/11 attacks on the occasion of its 24th anniversary. The committee has raised concerns regarding potential terrorist threats facing the U.S., especially as the nation prepares for significant events like the next FIFA World Cup.

Representative Andrew Garbarino, the committee's chair and a native New Yorker, will lead his colleagues in laying flowers at the memorial and expressing gratitude to first responders. He emphasized the importance of remembering the events of 9/11, noting that the Homeland Security Department and the committee were established as a response to that tragic day. He also acknowledged that New York continues to be a prime target for terrorist activities.

Recent findings from the Justice Department’s National Institute of Justice revealed that New York City experienced the highest number of attempted or actual terrorist incidents in the U.S. Lawmakers have been active in devising legislation to tackle these threats, such as the Countering Online Radicalization and Terrorism Act, which aims for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to assess threats posed by groups like ISIS and Hamas through their online presence.

Among the attendees at Ground Zero will be members across the political spectrum, including the top Democrat on the committee, Bennie Thompson, and several Republican lawmakers. They are also scheduled to visit MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the site for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to review security measures in collaboration with officials from the White House’s FIFA World Cup Task Force.

On the same day, former President Donald Trump will be commemorating the attacks at the Pentagon while also attending a private memorial for victims. The DHS is leading security preparations for the World Cup and other upcoming international events, with additional oversight being provided by the House Homeland Security Committee's Task Force on Special Events. Garbarino stated that meetings like these are essential to ensure that the DHS can effectively safeguard Americans during high-profile events, reinforcing the idea that vigilance against threats must remain a priority.